Situated in the northeast Detroit Metro Region, Mount Clemens, Michigan is bordered by Clinton Township to the north, south, and west, and by Harrison Township to the east.

The chief routes through the city are I-94, which forms a portion of the city's eastern border, M-3 (Gratiot Avenue), and M-97 (Groesbeck Highway), which forms a small portion of its western border. The Clinton River and its North Branch flow through the irregularly-shaped city, and Lake St. Clair is a short distance to the east.

Cities and villages within twenty miles of Mt. Clemens include Roseville, Fraser, Sterling Heights, St. Clair Shores, Utica, Eastpointe, Harper Woods, New Baltimore, Grosse Pointe Woods, Warren, Grosse Pointe Shores, New Haven, Center Line, Grosse Pointe Farms, Troy, Rochester Hills, Grosse Pointe, Armada, Rochester, Clawson, Hazel Park, Romeo, Grosse Pointe Park, Birmingham, Madison Heights, Richmond, Royal Oak, and Pleasant Ridge. The center of Detroit is about twenty-five miles south-southwest of the center of Mt. Clemens.

Mount Clemens is the seat of Macomb County. As its seat of government, the city hosts the County Sheriff's Office, the County Jail, and other county courts and offices, as well as the Mount Clemens Public Library.

The city's population grew rapidly since first appearing on a census report in 1850, reaching a peak of 21,016 in 1960. However, it has declined slightly each decade since. Single-family homes make up about fifty percent of the city's land area, with most of its neighborhoods being traditional grid streets. Its oldest homes are in the neighborhoods to the north and south of Cass Avenue, while the southwest portion of the city, south of the river, includes residential developments from the 1950s and 1960s, mostly on large lots, while the homes east of Gratiot Avenue and Main Street are largely bungalow-style homes, built during the same time period. Multi-family homes make up only about four percent of the city's land area.

Business and office centers in Mt. Clemens are mostly along the north and southbound Gratiot Avenue pairs, the M-97 corridor, and on River Road. The city's industrial areas are concentrated between the Grand Trunk Railroad and M-97, and west of I-94.

The city was named for Christian Clemens, who became impressed with the site after surveying it for the county in 1795 that he returned in 1799, buying five hundred acres of land along the Clinton River, which was then known as the River Huron, as well as a distillery that had been built by John Brooks. In 1824, the river's name was changed to avoid confusion with the Huron River that empties into Lake Erie.

Clemens built a log home where the county court building sits today. In 1818, he laid out lots and streets, and platted a village that he named Mount Clemens. That same year, Macomb County was organized, Christian Clemens was appointed Judge of the County Court, and the village was designated as the county seat.

A post office was established on January 12, 1821, with John Stockton as postmaster.

Christian Clemens conveyed land to the county to build the courthouse, for churches, and for a cemetery. Besides the distillery, he operated several other businesses, as well. In 1822, a stage line was established to connect Mount Clemens with Detroit. In 1855, the Mount Clemens Glass Works began operations

The papers for incorporation as a village was filed in 1837, but the legislature didn't act on it until 1851. Mount Clemens became a city in 1879.

In the 1870s, attempts to develop salt wells were unsuccessful but resulted in the discovery of the mineral waters that would make the city famous as a health spa. At one time, there were twenty-three large hotels and several smaller hotels, rooming houses, and about forty bathhouses in Mount Clemens. This industry began to decline around the time of World War II, although some of the picturesque buildings in the city were originally built to serve this industry.

Another industry brought national attention to Mount Clemens. For a few decades, beginning in 1880, ten major rose growers led the city to be known as the Rose Capital of the United States. The Clinton River has also played a significant role in the city's economy, as people fished, hunted, and trapped along its banks, and later established boat building and repair facilities along the river.

In recent years, waterfront revitalization has brought several community activities and events, including a concert series, art fairs, fireworks, chartered boat cruises, parades, and festivals.

The focus of this portion of our guide is on the city of Mount Clemens, Michigan. Appropriate resources include websites representing the municipal or county governments, or any other governmental agencies within the city, local businesses, industries, schools, organizations, events, and other entities within the city.

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